BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — The People’s Court in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu has reported that it has received the indictment of the provincial People’s Procuracy for prosecuting four crew members in connection with the sinking of the Hải Thành 26-BLC cargo ship.

The cargo ship sank in the waters off the country’s southern coast on March 28.

It is expected that the court will open the first instance hearing of the case before the Lunar New Year holiday which falls in mid-February next year, the online vietnamplus newspaper reported.

The crew members of the Hải Thành cargo ship include Hoàng Tiến Khôi and Nguyễn Viết Thắng, accused of violating Circular 07/2012/TT-BGTVT.

Earlier on June 21, Vũng Tàu Port Authority concluded that the the accident was the fault of the crew members, who did not perform their job of patrol and control well.

Kiên and Sang were reported to leave their position while being on duty on Petrolimex 14 oil tanker and they also did not observe well, resulting in their ship colliding with Hải Thành ship.

Kiên and Sang also did not answer the report of Hải Thành ship’s crew members when Hải Thành ship discovered that the two ships could collide.

While Hoàng Tiến Khôi, a crew member of Hải Thành ship was accused of having no timely action to avoid the collision although he discovered the Petrolimex 14 tanker could hit his ship.

The Hải Thành 26, with 11 crew members on board, sank some 44 nautical miles to the east of Vũng Tàu City in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province while carrying clinker from the northern city of Hải Phòng to the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ.

Two sailors were rescued, according to the Việt Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre.

Nine crewmembers were killed in the accident and all the bodies were recovered. – VNS